After starting his career with a 1982 guest appearance in the second episode of the television detective series Cagney & Lacey (starring Meg Foster in the former role), Lowell was cast in the role of Decker in the short-lived comedy series called It Takes Two. When that series ended in 1983, Lowell did not return to episodic television until the mid-1990s. He instead focused his attention on films.

Lowell's other recent film credits consist of the 2001 crime drama The Quickie, featuring Dean Stockwell, and the 2003 science fiction thriller Contagion, co-starring Jeffrey Combs, Megan Gallagher, and Andrew Hawkes. Lowell has also become more active in television in recent years, guest starring on such programs as Titus, CSI, and ER. He has appeared in at least three episodes of the latter series, including one featuring Ellen Geer.